Several LGBT candidates had strong showings in suburban primary elections Feb. 28.
In Berwyn, four gay candidates won their primary races; three of the eight city council members will be LGBT, as will the city clerk. All four are now unopposed in the April 4 general election.
Lesbian Ald. Marge Paul ( 3rd ) won by just 80 votes in a tight race for the city clerk post. Paul will be replaced on the city council by Jeanine Reardon, who is also a lesbian. The 2nd Ward will be represented by a gay man, Jose Ramirez, as well.
Paul, Reardon and Ramirez ran as part of the Berwyn United slate, which has challenged the policies of Mayor Robert Lovero. A fourth LGBT Berwyn United candidate, Joey Johnston, lost his bid to become a Berwyn Township trustee.
Scott Lennon, a gay man who is an ally of Lovero's, will represent the 1st Ward on the city council.
Meanwhile, in Evanston, openly gay Ald. Mark Tendam ( 6th ) survived the five-candidate primary to replace outgoing Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl. Tendam will face emergency management consultant Steve Hagerty in the April 4 general election. Tendam came in second, receiving about 20.53 percent of the vote while Hagerty was in the lead, receiving 44.37 percent.
In a statement, Tandem said, "I'd like to thank the citizens of Evanston for giving me a vote of confidence and sending me to the runoff election on April 4th. We are lucky to live in a town that can put up five highly-qualified candidates, and I appreciate the ways that all my opponents helped challenge my platform and make me a better candidate. I am honored and encouraged to see so many people participating in our democratic process, and I look forward to earning your vote in the next five weeks."